The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Sofball Hosts Miami, Ball State in MAC Home Finale This Weekend
April 23 | Softball
GAMENOTES IN PDF
DH vs. Miami (Ohio) (25-20, 8-6 MAC)
Lee R. Jackson Field • Akron, Ohio
Friday, April 1 • 1 p.m.
Webstream: GoZips.com
Live Stats: GoZips.com
vs. Ball State (25-21, 10-3 MAC)
Lee R. Jackson Field • Akron, Ohio
Saturday, April 25 • 2 p.m. • SENIOR DAY
Sunday, April 26 • 1 p.m. • Strike Out Cancer
Webstream: GoZips.com
Live Stats: GoZips.com
THIS WEEK
Akron softball returns to Lee R. Jackson Field to close out MAC play at home. UA hosts Miami (Ohio) in a twinbill on Friday, April 24 at 1 p.m.
The Zips host MAC West leader Ball State in single MAC games on Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. and Sunday, April 26, at 1 p.m.
Prior to Saturday's game, the five members of the Senior Class will be honored.
Sunday's game has been designated as the Zips' Strike Out Cancer game. Pink t-shirts will be available for $15 at the game.
The home games will be streamed live on GoZips.com with David Suntup on play-by-play and Scott Scalf with color analysis. Live stats will also be available on GoZips.com.
Akron returns 11 letterwinners, including five starters, from a year ago. The Zips welcome six true freshmen.
The Akron Zips, under ninth-year head coach Julie Jones, stand 20-20 overall and 7-6 in MAC play after a sweeping Bowling Green on April 18. The Zips have won nine of their last 12 games, including seven of their last nine games in MAC play.
After 40 contests, Akron has three players batting over .300. Freshman OF Taylor Kirian (New Riegel, Ohio) is the Zips' top hitter, batting .333 with six hits, four doubles, two triples, and 10 RBI in 17 games. Senior 2B Kellie Roudabush (Hilliard, Ohio) follows (.316) with 36 hits, three doubles, three home runs, and 15 RBI in 40 starts. Sophomore 3B Alyssa Nicholas (Cortland, Ohio) bats .311. She has a team-best 37 hits, five doubles, a team-best six home runs, and a team-best 29 RBI in 40 starts.
In the circle, 2014 MAC Pitcher of the Year Erin Seiler (Bowling Green, Ohio) stands 20-12 after 207.0 innings of action. She's struck out a MAC-best and season record 259 batters and walked 51 while throwing 29 complete games, including six shutouts. Freshman Paige McMenemy (Westerville, Ohio) has made 10 appearances (0-3 overall), throwing 26.2 innings. She has 18 strikeouts and 12 walks. Senior Sara Pearson (Somerville, Ohio) has appeared in nine games (0-5 overall). She has 24 strikeouts and 27 walks in 26.1 innings of action.
SCOUTING MIAMI
The RedHawks, under third-year head coach Clarisa Crowell, stand 25-20 overall and 8-6 after splitting a twinbill with Butler on April 21. Senior OF Tiyona Marshall is the top hitter at .444 with 68 hits, six doubles, two triples, and 13 RBI in 45 starts. Junior OF Taylor Shuey follows (.331) with 46 hits, seven doubles, two triples, and 29 RBI in 45 starts. In the circle, junior RHP Amber Logemann (21-9 overall) has pitched 172.1 innings and has a 1.83 ERA. She's struck out 169 and walked 67.
Akron holds a 35-32 series advantage over Miami since 1989. Last season in Oxford, the teams split a pair of 3-0 games.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
The Cardinals, under second-year head coach Tyra Perry, stand 25-21 overall and 10-3 in MAC play after a 19-9 (5 inns.) win over Indiana on April 21. Ball State plays at Ohio on April 24 before visiting Akron. Junior 2B Emily Dabkowski is the top hitter at .367 with 54 hits, seven doubles, a triple, 11 home runs, and 40 RBI in 45 starts. Senior OF Hanne Stuedemann follows (.357) with 45 hits, eight doubles, a triple, seven home runs, and 40 RBI in 45 games. In the circle, junior RHP Nicole Steinbach (12-11) has pitched 152.1 innings and has a 3.63 ERA. She's struck out 140 and walked 62.
MAC West leader Ball State edges Akron in series action 28-22 since 1991. Last season, the teams split a twinbill in Muncie.
LAST OUTING
Akron swept a Mid-American Conference twinbill at Bowling Green on April 18. The Zips won the first game, 6-1, and swept the Falcons, 8-0 in five innings, in the night cap.
In game one, BGSU scored a run in the bottom of the first, but the Zips retaliated with a run in the top of the second. Senior outfielder Sara Pearson had an RBI single, scoring sophomore outfielder Savannah Fruin, who reached on an error.
The Zips went ahead for good with two runs in the fifth. Sophomore third baseman Alyssa Nicholas hit a two-RBI home run to left field. UA added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh.
Junior right-hander Erin Seiler picked up her 19th win of the season, hurling the complete game. She struck out seven batters and walked none. Overall, Akron out-hit BGSU, 11-3. The Falcons has four fielding errors, while the Zips had none.
In the second game, the Zips scored five runs in the first after two outs. Senior outfielder Taryn Allmon hit an RBI single, scoring senior second baseman Kellie Roudabush, who reached on an error. Freshman designated player Taylor Kirian, singled to the left for two RBI, scoring Allmon and Nicholas. Fruin scored on an error after reaching on a fielder's choice. Junior catcher McKenzi Rhodes drove in the final run with a single, scoring Fruin.
Akron sealed the run-rule win in the fourth with three insurance runs. Nicholas singled, bringing home Wildey, while Kirian doubled, scoring Fruin and Nicholas.
Seiler (20-12 overall, 7-5 MAC) earned her second win on the day. She struck out seven and walked none. Overall, Akron out-hit BGSU, 9-4. Bowling Green committed three errors while Akron had none.
RECORD WATCH
Junior RHP Erin Seiler broke her own strikeout record. With her seven strikeouts against Buffalo on April 12, Seiler re-wrote her own school record for Ks in a season. She now has 259 strikeouts in 34 games. In 2013, she set the season record for strikeouts with 219.
Seiler has tied her mark of 20 wins from last season. The season record is 25 wins.
With her career-high 15 strikeouts against Central Michigan on April 4, Seiler became Akron's career strikeout leader. She now has 649 strikeouts in her three-year career. The previous record was 575 by Tina McCauley (2001-05).
COUNTDOWN TO POSTSEASON
Akron has 10 games remaining in the regular season. The 2015 MAC Tournament will be held May 6-9 at Akron's Firestone Stadium. Only the top eight teams advance to the double elimination tourney.
SMART COOKIES
Four Zips– senior Sara Pearson (3.588 GPA in exercise science), senior Kellie Roudabush (3.589 in nursing), junior Erin Seiler (3.623 in marketing management), and senior Chelsea Wildey (3.800 in nursing)– are nominees for the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-America Team. To be eligible, the students must have at least a 3.3 GPA, must have played in more than half the games, and be a non-freshman.
200 WINS FOR JONES
With their 6-3 win over host George Mason in the first day of action at the Cherry Blossom Classic, the Zips gave their head coach Julie Jones a very special honor– her 200th win at Akron.
MAC HONORS
For the fourth time this season, junior Erin Seiler was named the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week for the East Division on April 21.
Last week, Seiler went a perfect 4-0 on the week for the Zips, including 3-0 in MAC road play.
In non-conference road action at Youngstown State on April 14, Seiler picked up her 17th win of the season in the 3-1 victory. She struck out 13 batters and walked none.
At Toledo on Friday, Seiler hurled all nine innings in the 2-1 victory. She struck out seven batters and walked six. For game two, she was called in relief to end the game, throwing the final 1.1 innings.
At Bowling Green on Saturday, Seiler added two more wins. In game one, she struck out seven batters and walked none. In the 8-0 shutout in five innings in game two, Seiler (20-12 overall, 7-5 MAC) earned her second win on the day. She struck out seven and walked none.
On the week, Seiler went 4-0 in 29.1 innings of work. She struck out 34 and walked six while earning a 0.92 ERA.
Seiler also was recognized by the MAC on Feb. 17, March 17, and April 14. Sophomore 3B Alyssa Nicholas was named MAC Player of the Week on March 10.
UP NEXT
Akron hosts Ball State in MAC games on Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. on SENIOR DAY and on Sunday, April 26, at 1 p.m. on STRIKE OUT CANCER DAY.
